Flower of Nifl
by Mr. Millennium
Summary: A year after Kiran was associated with the Order of Heroes, he stumbles a Princess of Ice. Little did he know what the future had in store for him. Or what role the princess would play in said future. M!Kiran x Fjorm. Read author's notes for more info.
1. Chpt 1: A Lost Snowflake

Author's Notes:

_Hello! As you may or may not know, I write a small series of Fjorm supports. I have finally decided to pursue an actual story. It's M!Kiran x Fjorm. This story will be an adaptation of book two and onward. Some chapters I will allow you to request for a character to show up for a chapter. I want to try to refrain from using different FE characters from the main games as main characters. So, one person each can make an OC for me to put in the story. (Permanently) Just make sure they're native to Askr! :) So, the story itself will mostly be original, aside from the main characters and locations. Have a good one, and I hope you enjoy!_

**Chapter 1:**

**A Lost Snowflake**

Alfonse, Sharena, Anna, and Kiran looked over the hill and didn't find ash or ruin like what they had been traveling through for days, but instead they found snow. White, sparkling, and pretty snow. The weather change was very noticeable, but the cold was more than a relief for the small party who were fed up with the high temperatures.

"Finally. Something that isn't smoking, smoldering, or burning" said the blonde princess. Leave it to Sharena to find some way to brighten the mood, even if it is just by stating the obvious.

Alfonse nodded. "We can make camp here. Even if this cold is refreshing, we still need to make a fire or we might not make it through the night. We'll soon feel the frostbite at our toes."

The rest of the party nodded in agreement. The cold already was getting to them. Wherever they were, it surely wasn't Askr. The weather was usually warm. Almost like an eternal spring. Now it had seemed like they went through summer straight to winter. A good lesson for them never to take fall for granted.

"I can go start looking for wood. Probably not back there, though. There's no way any wood would have survived those flames." Kiran said. "Don't take off on me, okay?" He asked with a chuckle.

"I won't, but no promises on what Sharena might do." Alfonse jokingly replied.

"Hey! I'm not that childish!" Sharena whined.

Kiran chuckled. "Okay, princess. I'll trust you. I won't be too long."

As Kiran went out looking for wood, Alfonse and Sharena started setting up the tents, while Anna scoped the area for some sort of civilization.

"Hey, Alfonse…" Sharena started.

Alfonse looked over to his sister motioning for her to continue as he keep setting up the tent.

"I know we're not kids anymore, but… Is it okay if we share tents? We're so far from home and… I'd feel safer if I were with you."

Alfonse didn't reply which left Sharena a little embarrassed, but he was just thinking. Thinking of the last time that Sharena had actually asked him something. They weren't that far apart in age, but she was still his little sister.

"Actually, I'm sorry… That was a dumb question."

"Sharena, you don't have to ask. You're my sister. It's my job to look out for you. If you want to share a tent for tonight, then that's fine."

Sharena smiled. "Thanks, big bro."

"Just don't tell father when we get back. I don't think he'd take kindly to me 'babying' you as he would put it." Alfonse said with a grim expression. It wasn't a secret that their father was strict. Now that he had thought of it, he probably made Sharena stop asking him for "brotherly favors". He wanted his children to grow up too fast it seemed like.

Sharena nodded. She knew exactly what he meant. But it wasn't weird or anything. She just wanted her brother to make her feel safe. He had always been good at it, even if he didn't notice. Could anyone blame her? Uncharted territory where they had passed several villages that had been reduced to nothing but piles of ash.

Kiran, meanwhile, was having no luck finding wood. It was all probably buried under the snow, so even if there was some sticking out, it'd be too wet to be of any use. Not only that, but it was getting colder by the minute. The sun was still up, but slowly setting behind the mountains. The way the light reflected off of the snow was beautiful. Kiran had never seen anything like it before. Sure, he's seen snow, but not this much. Especially not this much with such a breathtaking sparkle in it.

One patch specifically was very bright. Almost blinding. "That's extremely bright… Wait, is that a gem?" Kiran thought to himself. He slowly approached the shining spot, and as he got closer it became evident that there was in fact something in that patch of snow. But it wasn't just a crystal. It was a person.

"Hello? Hello?! Are you okay?" He yelled as he rushed toward the body. There was no response. He reached the body. It was that of a young woman, probably around his age. He checked for a pulse, and when he touched her she was as cold as ice. She was however, alive. He checked for breathing just in case. It was faint, but he could feel her breath. Kiran was relieved.

He began to lift her up and put her arm over his shoulder, but then he heard more voices. They sounded to be coming from atop a peak above them. Kiran wondered if the girl had fallen from that small peak. The voices grew nearer and nearer to where he could make them out.

"Burn the village to the ground! I want nothing left of this repulsive wasteland!" The voice was deep, angry, and cruel.

It didn't take a genius to know it was time to leave, and fast. It wasn't before long until the girl he was carrying started shivering. So Kiran took his cloak off and put it on the girl, and continued to carry her. But he didn't know how much longer he could go himself. The wind was nipping at his nose, he could barely feel his toes, and the sun was almost gone completely.

Thankfully, he didn't have to go much further. He heard the voices of Alfonse, Sharena, and Anna chattering to each other.

"Alfonse! Help!" Kiran used the last of his energy to yell out for extra muscle. "Please…"

Alfonse heard the shouting. Assuming the worst, he grabbed Folkvangr and rushed to the source of the yelling to find Kiran on his knees using the last bit of his strength to hold a girl up off of the ground.

"Kiran, are you okay? What happened?" Alfonse asked in succession with great concern for his friend.

Kiran could only manage a few words between his heavy breathing. "Found her...in... snow…. Needs medical attention."

"She's not the only one. Sharena! Anna! A little help, please!"

The two girls rushed over to Alfonse, Kiran, and the girl who was unconscious.

"We have nothing to make a fire with!"

Alfonse mentally cursed himself. "Then burn down one of our spare tents. It's all we have."

Sharena nodded and went to start the fire as Anna and Alfonse helped Kiran carry the girl over to the campsite.

Kiran was finally able to regain his breath and some of his energy. "We are never going skiing, by the way." He commented.

"Yeah, it's too expensive, anyway." Anna added in.

It was a few hours before everyone but Kiran had went to sleep. He couldn't make himself sleep before he knew the girl was okay.

So many questions were racing through his mind. Who was the girl? How did she end up in the snow in the first place? And how did he make such a good cup of hot chocolate? He took out his notebook and wrote a note saying "experiment at castle with recipe."

About another hour and three cups of hot chocolate which didn't even compare to the first one had passed until he heard someone coming out of the tent.

He didn't look back and just assumed it was Sharena who smelled the chocolate aroma.

"Sorry, Sharena, I only have one cup." He said.

"Oh." Said a girl's voice, but Kiran knew it wasn't Sharena.

He turned around to see it was the girl from the snow.

"Oh, sorry! You're not Sharena. You can have it. I've probably drank too much anyway." Kiran said as his face turned red. The girl was very pretty.

"Are you sure?" She asked quietly, trying not to wake the others.

Kiran nodded and got her a fresh serving.

"Thank you" the girl said with a small smile. "I wasn't expecting anybody to be up."

"I volunteered to stay up and wait for you to wake up."

"What if I hadn't woken until daylight?"

"Then I would probably need something stronger than hot chocolate."

The girl giggled at his comment. "Oh. My name is Fjorm. What's yours?"

"That's a pretty name. I'm Kiran." Kiran pinched himself for saying the first part.

"Were you the one who brought me here? Who rescued me?" Fjorm asked as she stared into the fire.

"Yes. I found you in the snow. Thank goodness I did too, or else you'd probably be a popsicle right now."

Fjorm giggled again. "I don't think I'd taste too good, either. Fjormsicle doesn't sound like the most appetizing treat." She took a sip of her hot chocolate. "This is really good."

"You should have tried the first cup. I don't think I'll ever be able to recreate it, but I'll sure as heck try my best when I get the chance."

Fjorm yawned. Being rescued seemingly wore a person out. "I'm sorry, Kiran. But I think I'm going to try to sleep."

Kiran chuckled. "No need to apologize. You must be tired. I'll be asleep before long too, but I'm gonna keep the fire going for a few more minutes."

Fjorm nodded and waved goodbye for now as she retired into the same tent she emerged from.

Kiran pulled a journal out his pouch on his belt. Sharena gave it to him, but he has yet to use it. He figured that now was good as time as any to start. He took some charred wood from the fire and used it as a pencil and started to write.

_"We had travelled through many villages for a few days; although they were mostly ash at the point to where we reached them, but then finally reached a different place. Covered in snow. Found and rescued a girl named Fjorm from the snow. Heard some very discerning voices too. Forgot to ask how she ended up in that position and where we were. But she seems very nice. Also, I made the best darn cup of hot chocolate I've ever had. Need to find out how I did that. That's all for tonight. -Kiran"_

"Hopefully I remember to update this thing from time to time." Kiran said to himself. But he figured that now was a good time to hit the hay. He stuck more wood in the fire for good measure, and finally laid down after what had seemed like the longest day in his life.

**Let me know what you all think! With this and Fjorm supports, upload schedule may be a bit wonky, but we'll see how it plays out. I have another fic I started, but that's gonna be on hiatus for now. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	2. Chpt 2: A Debt to Pay

Author's Notes

_Thanks for the reviews and early follows for the story! I'm going to make this top priority. I'm trying to get money for a computer, though, so I may end up taking an extra job. But anyway, enjoy!_Chapter 2:

A Debt to Pay

After that night, Alfonse and Anna decided it would be best to head back to Askr and report what they had found. Not only that multiple towns and villages were in ruin, but a land of ice and snow was also foreign to the the group. Alfonse, Anna, and Sharena, and Kiran all tried talking to Fjorm about it, but the only thing she said about the place was that she would explain once they were in Askr. Which was basically nothing, but she seemed to have information on it at least.

"How about cake? Yeah, what's your favorite cake?" Sharena asked Fjorm. She had been going on and on with questions for Fjorm the entire afternoon.

"Chocolate cake, probably. But I like carrot cake a lot, too." Fjorm answered after some deep thought. "How about you?"

"I like just about any cake. It's got sugar in it, so it's all good. But, the icing has to be whipped." Sharena answered.

Alfonse, Anna and Kiran were walking a few paces behind them listening to the entire conversation. It started with the basics, such as favorite color and ages. Then it went to books, and then finally, food.

"Sooner or later they're going to run out of questions, right?" Kiran asked them.

"I'm afraid that we might be home by that time." Alfonse replied with sigh.

"As long as Sharena's not talking my ear off, I'm fine." Anna added with a tone of satisfaction.

"Yes, but you can still hear every word that's being said. The thing is, you just don't have to reply. Not like you do half of the time, anyway." Kiran remarked.

"Fair point…" Anna replied in realization.

Leave it to Kiran to speak the truth. He's known for being rather witty, and usually speaks the truth in a joking manner, but he can often trip over his own words and start bumbling. Especially when he's embarrassed. Which, embarrassment didn't come too often to him, but it still happens from time to time. One time being when Sharena tried to set him up on a date, but the woman ended up being already married and unaware of what Sharena had did. However, Kiran did get a book as an apology gift from Sharena, so it all seemed worth it to him.

"The gate is in view! We're almost back to the capital." Alfonse said.

"Maybe their conversation will come to an end now…" Kiran said, hopefully thinking.

He liked Sharena and all, but that girl could talk someone's ears off for days on end. She was almost the complete opposite of Alfonse, who was usually serious, and rather secluded. But he had been coming out of his shell, as of late.

"Hey, Kiran! I have a good idea!" Sharena said with bit of a mischievous tone in her voice.

Kiran overdramatized a gulping sound. "Yes…Sharena?" He asked while trying to bite down on his tongue, but alas he couldn't ignore the blonde princess. She was his best friend after all.

"Alfonse, Anna, and I will go to the castle and tell father that we need to talk. We'll get you when we have a time that's good for them."

"What about me and Fjorm?" Kiran asked, even though he knew where this was going.

"So happy you asked! You can show her around the town! I'm sure you'll have fun." Sharena answered exactly what he thought she'd say.

"I don't know if Fjorm would want that…" Alfonse said, trying to save Kiran and Fjorm from Sharena's trap.

"Well, uh, Fjorm, what do you want?" Kiran asked. It wasn't up to anyone but her.

"I want to look around with you. I m-mean… I wouldn't mind it. If you're okay with it, too." Fjorm said rather eagerly.

Kiran and Alfonse were shocked. It wasn't quite what they were expecting. Kiran didn't have it in him to refuse her. He didn't really mind the idea, either. Only that it was a Sharena plot.

"Okay, then. We'll meet up later. Ready, Fjorm?" Kiran didn't want to waste time. He was also hungry, and wanted food as soon as possible. Fjorm nodded and bade farewell to the trio who then left for the castle.

"Okay, Fjorm. Are you as hungry as I am?" Kiran asked.

"I could eat. I haven't had a proper meal for days."

"Yeah, sorry about that. Come on, let's find somewhere you'd like."

* * *

Alfonse however, couldn't put his mind at ease. He felt bad for letting Sharena put Kiran into another forced "outing", but Fjorm and Kiran seemed happy to stay behind, so he couldn't feel too guilty. Alfonse wasn't looking forward to seeing his father, either, though. He'll tell him what happened, and then his father will probably reprimand him for leaving Askr again, and then bringing a stranger back to boot. Just about anything he did caused his father to get on his case.

"Sharena, be careful not to say anything to father that shouldn't be said. I have a feeling he's already not going to take kindly to us being gone for so long." Alfonse warned his sister. He didn't want her getting into any trouble, either.

"I know… We can talk more to mother after we do with father. I'm sure she'll actually be able to talk to us without yelling over nothing." Sharena replied to her brother.

Alfonse nodded. "Anna, maybe you can check the library for us about a land of snow?" He asked the commander.

"I'll see what I can find. We can meet here again in an hour and then see what Kiran and Fjorm are up to."

They all nodded in agreement and went on to start their tasks. But the one thing that was in everyone's mind was: how is Kiran holding up?

* * *

Kiran and Fjorm enjoyed their lunch. A full meal was quite the relief for both of them after the trek from the snowy land back to Nifl. They hadn't had anything real to eat the entire way back.

"I'm sorry you had to pay for the whole meal." Fjorm said with her voice full of guilt.

"It's fine. Working for a prince and princess has its perks. It's not like I'm broke or anything. But man, that costed more than I had expected."

"You'll have to let me repay the favor sometime." Fjorm replied. Her mind told her that it was okay to accept it, but her heart didn't. The meal was far more expensive than what they had anticipated, and he barely knew her. It was easy to tell that his heart was very kind.

"Nah, it's okay. So, where do ya wanna go next? There's a bakery, there's a library, there's a fountain, there's uh… Ya know, I'm not the most well-versed when it comes to the town."

"Hmm" Fjorm pondered. "I'd like to see the fountain. That is, if you know how to get there, hehe."

"I'm pretty sure I know how." Kiran said rather unconvincingly. "Follow me."

Fjorm was hesitant to follow Kiran through the large crowd. Not that she didn't trust him, but there were a lot of people all of a sudden. She couldn't even see him at that point.

"Fjorm?" Kiran emerged from the large group and found her.

"Sorry, Kiran. But as soon as you left, a bunch of people showed up. I couldn't see you."

"It's okay. I won't lose you."

"Are you sure?" Fjorm asked a little nervously. It obvious to Kiran that she wasn't one for large crowds.

"Yeah, here." Kiran grabbed onto her hand, but then jumped back a little. "Y-you're freezing! Are you okay?"

"Oh. Yes. I've been told touching me is like touching ice. I'm sorry. I get colder when my nerves are unsettled."

"Ah, okay." Kiran grabbed her hand again, and this time held on without jumping back. "Ready?"

"A-are you sure? You don't have to if I'm really cold…"

"No, it's fine. I was just a little startled." Fjorm's hand was a little chilly, but it wasn't to where she untouchable. It was warming up by the seconds anyway. "Brace for impact!" Kiran started running through the large crowd while dragging Fjorm behind him.

* * *

Alfonse and Sharena approached the large door of the throne room. No matter how many times they've been at the front, it's never gotten less daunting to them. They loved their father, but he was more harsh that he was loving. But he was a good king. Stern but fair.

Alfonse sighed. "Here we go." Sharena followed his brother as he opened the door and walked in.

"Alfonse. Sharena." Gustav, the king of Askr said. "What is it that you needed?"

"Hello, father." Sharena chimed.

"Father, Kiran, Sharena, and I would like to have a private meeting with you. We have something important we wish to discuss."

Gustav groaned to himself and sat without giving an answer.

"We apologize, father." Alfonse said. "We will go."

"In an hour. Be back here in an hour." Gustav said. "You may go."

Alfonse and Sharena nodded and took their leave from the throne room. Once they shut the door behind them, Sharena started talking.

"Father seemed more talkative than normal." She remarked with a small laugh.

"I'm surprised he agreed to it. He usually looks at as children, but expects adult behavior. This time it was all one-note." Alfonse was happy for it, though. Maybe Gustav was starting to have respect for the two siblings. "Let's go find Anna.

* * *

Anna had been in the library looking through every book with a snowflake on the cover, or the word snow in the title. Nothing had anything about a land of snow. Anna went through all of the bookshelves once more. There was a book that she must've passed over before. The cover was light blue, and the title was "Nifl: Land of Frost." That had seemed promising.

Anna skimmed through some of the pages. There were many paragraphs about a land covered in ice and snow. It was populated, too. It had a castle with a royal family of its own. This had to be exactly what she was looking for. It was too similar to what they had seen to be otherwise.

"Anna, have you found anything useful?" Alfonse asked as he walked up to the commander.

"This one." She showed Alfonse and Sharena the book. "It talks about a place called Nifl. A kingdom covered in snow."

"Excellent," Alfonse replied. "This has to be it."

"Any luck with the king?" Anna asked.

Sharena nodded. "We have about half an hour before we meet in the throne room. Let's go find Kiran and Fjorm."

The rest of the group nodded in agreement and they set off into the crowded town to find them.

Alfonse sighed as he saw how busy the streets were. "This might take longer than we have time to spare."

* * *

Fjorm and Kiran had been sitting by the fountain for a bit while talking to each other.

"By the way, Kiran… Thank you for helping me through that crowd. I have a slight fear of large crowds. I think it formed when I was younger. My brother took me to buy a new toy for my birthday one year, but I got distracted by something, and my brother lost me… I was terrified, and I was convinced that I wouldn't be back home. It's silly since I'm older, but I haven't gotten over it."

"Aw, Fjorm. It's okay. I just hope you were fine with me dragging you through by your hand." Kiran chuckled.

"I didn't mind… I just owe you so much already, and we've only just met a few days ago. You're so kind."

"You don't owe me anything. I enjoy helping people. I can't sit idly while someone needs help." Kiran said.

"Kiran, I owe you more than you know… Where I'm from-"

"Kiran! I finally found you!" Sharena yelled. "Alfonse, Anna! They're over here at the fountain!" She called for the other two. Fjorm looked down at her feet as she was interrupted.

"Hi, Sharena. I take it we're able to speak to your father?" Kiran asked.

"Yeah, and we have to hurry. We don't want to be late. Especially for father."

Kiran nodded and Sharena took off go get back to Alfonse and Anna. Kiran stood up from the edge of the fountain and was about to begin walking over too before he heard Fjorm's voice.

"Um... Kiran?" She said a bit quietly. Kiran looked over his shoulder at Fjorm waiting for her to continue. "I hope it is not too much to ask, but...will you take my hand?"

Kiran paused. "Wait, what do you mean…?" He asked, slightly confused

"I mean...will you hold my hand through the crowd again? I'm just, well...you know." She couldn't look him in the face while asking for such a childish request. She was honestly expecting him to say no, but was caught off guard when he actually did reach over and grab her hand.

"No problem. We had better go before they come back looking for us, though."

With that, they went through the crowd again. However, Fjorm wasn't concentrated on the insane amount of people anymore, but her hand. The hand that was being grasped by Kiran. Just thinking of it made her face heat up, but she didn't know why.

* * *

As they finally made it to the castle gate, Kiran sighed in relief. Fjorm looked up at the castle in awe. It was so beautiful. It truly represented light and hope as she had heard before.

"It's a sight to behold. I was impressed when I first saw it, too." Kiran said as the princess gazed at the castle.

Fjorm started to look around the entrance, but when she felt like she was pulling something, she remembered that her fingers were interlaced with Kiran's. Her face immediately went red as she let go of his hand.

"I'm sorry, Kiran! I didn't meant to keep holding on."

"Darn, so you didn't like my hand?" Kiran joked.

"T-that's not what I meant. I-"

"It's fine, Fjorm. Really. You worry too much."

"I owe you."

"No you don't, silly. But we had better hurry inside."

Fjorm nodded and proceeded to go through the castle gates. The inside was just as beautiful as the outside. Everything was so bright and vibrant.

"The throne room is through here. I think the others might already be inside."

* * *

The meeting started when the king entered. Gustav looked over at Fjorm.

"Who is this, Alfonse?" The king asked his son.

"This is Fjorm. Kiran found her...in the snow."

"Snow?" The king raised his eyebrow. "We haven't had snow in Askr for years.

Fjorm stepped up. "I asked them to bring me to speak with you, your majesty. I am the second Princess of Nifl, and I've come to request aid from Askr. My kingdom has been ravaged and burnt down to the ground by the ruler of flame, Surtr. Please…"

Gustav stood up from his throne. "I haven't been to Nifl is quite some time… It was a beautiful place. I cannot think of a reason as to why anybody would want to attack." Gustav started. "But we're just recovering from our little squabble with Embla."

"I understand." Fjorm said.

"I didn't refuse, though." Fjorm's eyes lit up. "Askr will lend some aid… But I cannot spare much." Gustav looked over to his son. "Alfonse. You are to be in charge of the military faction that I'll grant for Nifl's rehabilitation."

"As you will, father!" Alfonse couldn't help but let a small smile creep out. His father was finally giving him a real chance in the military.

"Sharena, you will accompany him as well. Anna, of course will help oversee Alfonse." The red-haired commander nodded in agreement. "Kiran. You'll be handling the legal affairs."

Kiran wasn't very thrilled with the idea of having to be involved in politics, but he had no choice. He couldn't fight, nor oppose the king who gave him a place to stay when he had nobody in this world.

"Your majesty. I would like to request Kiran to come with me." Fjorm cut in. "He has been most helpful. He also saved my life."

Gustav took a minute to think about it, but eventually complied to the princess' request.

* * *

After the meeting, the five met up outside of the castle.

"Well, I don't think we'll be needing this book after all." Sharena said.

"I think I'll keep it just in case." Alfonse intervened and took the book from his sister.

"I will tell you all more tomorrow. But for now, I think we should rest." Fjorm said. The rest of the group agreed with the princess. They had all went their separate ways, but before Kiran left, Fjorm asked him to stay. "I would like to speak with you before we part ways for the night."

"Oh, sure. What do you need?" Kiran asked.

"Earlier we were talking, but I was cut off." Fjorm began. "Where I'm from, when someone saves you from the snow, you owe that person a great debt. Not only have you done that for me, but you've done so much more. You've listened to me, you've paid for my food, and now you're going to be in danger for my sake."

"Fjorm. You don't owe me anything. I-"

"Yes I do! I will do my best to repay what you have done for me, but I don't think I'll be able to fulfill all of my debt. Just let me try. Please." Kiran sighed. He didn't sign up for this. Or expect it. He didn't have the heart to refuse it. He decided just to play along with it for now until it got out of hand.

"Alright…"

"Thank you, Kiran. I will remain by your side. I'll give you my all. Goodnight." Fjorm waved as she left for the night to find somewhere to stay.

"Fjorm. You need money to pay for a room to stay in."

"I... drat." Fjorm's face went red.

"Here." Kiran handed Fjorm some gold. "Goodnight, Fjorm."

Fjorm sighed. Another thing to add to the list of what Kiran has done for her. She was determined to pay him back.

**Okay, so this is being uploaded before the trailer, but I swear, the silhouettes are Fjorm and Pent. At least the left is someone from Nifl 100% sure. Thanks for reading! Next chapter might be out this week, but I have to get another support done too. We'll see how it goes! :)**


	3. Chpt 3: Dreams

_Author's Notes: Well, everyone. I'm not dead. I'm sorry for the wait. I just got home from vacation. Now I usually write the notes before I start on the chapter, however, this is a second version of the notes, because I've had this document unfinished for months...but now I've returned to it, and hopefully to stay. I apologize again. Enjoy_

. (Also, i can't do linebreaks on mobile, so I'll get it updated when i can get on the computer. Also, Bernadetta is my new favorite Fire Emblem character. And 3H is my new favorite FE game)

Chapter 3: Dreams

Kiran saw nothing but darkness. Everything around him was dark. It felt like his eyes weren't even open. He could move his arms and legs, but he didn't know what to do. Should he move forward in attempt at seeking an exit? Even in a dark room he felt like he had some awareness. But he was nothing, if not unsettled. The atmosphere was very different from anything he had experienced before.

Kiran took a breath before starting to walk. He put one foot forward. At least there was solid ground. He took another step and the ground was still stable. He took one more step and then the dark atmosphere flashed before him. Light and then dark, light and then dark. Between the flashes he could make out ice. More ice and snow, similar to what he's seen of Nifl. The flashing continued and then it stopped. The icy surroundings were as clear as day, but they were also motionless. Nothing was moving.

"Kiran." He heard a voice say his name. It was a girl's voice. "Kiran", it said again.

"How do you know my name?" Kiran asked. It felt weird to be shouting at a voice from a person he couldn't see.

"Kiran, my name is Gunnthrá." The voice stated. "I am the eldest princess of Nifl."

"Are you Fjorm's sister?"

"Yes. I want to thank you for saving her. You've taken the first steps into becoming the savior of Nifl."

"What?! 'Savior of Nifl'?!" Kiran was getting more and more confused the more whoever Gunnthrá was spoke to him. "Where are you?"

As soon as he finished his question a woman older than Fjorm appeared in front of him. "Kiran, I don't expect you to understand yet. But we will meet in person soon. Stay safe and make sure my sister remains unharmed. You are Nifl's only chance of survival." Gunnthrá started fading away, as well as the icy surroundings.

The sun had just risen, but Fjorm was already out exploring. Mainly to avoid the crowds of the afternoon that are to come. Nifl's square was never as crowded as what she had seen in Askr. Quite frankly, she was a little embarrassed that she had to rely on holding Kiran's hand, but it was either that, or be stuck at the fountain unable to move.

It was very pretty to see Askr without hundreds blocking all of the decorations. It was very obvious that Askr was the kingdom of light and friendship. The prince and princess were prime examples of it. Fjorm, a total stranger, was taken in by them without a second thought, and now they were going to lead an army to retake her homeland.

Not long into her walk, she saw Sharena out playing with some of the kids. "I see you have a few friends out pretty early today." Fjorm said.

Sharena chuckled. "Yeah, they're really sweet...and they don't like Alfonse too much. He's so serious all the time, and I guess they want fun more than rules and order."

"Does Kiran play with them at all?" Fjorm asked with full curiosity. Surely they had to like someone as nice and gentle as Kiran.

"Kiran doesn't come out much. He feels a lot like an outcast. It makes me sad, but I can see why he feels that way. How come?"

"W-well, he just seems to be someone who would be good with kids."

"You stuttered!" Sharena chirped.

"I did not!"

"Hehe, do you like hiiiiiim?"

"Wh-what? Like him?"

"That's what I said. You've spent a lot of time with him, and you've barely known each other for a few days. And you stuttered again." Sharena winked.

"I don't know? Maybe?" Fjorm hated herself for the last thing she said.

"Oh, I'll make some special arrangements for you then!" Sharena chimed mischievously.

Fjorm sighed. She knew it would be a waste of breath if she tried to argue against the princess. She was nervous for the arrangements, but maybe they wouldn't be so bad.

It wasn't long into the morning before Alfonse had the military fraction prepared to head for Nifl. It was a small force, but he knew many of the soldiers to be capable warriors, some even his friends from the days he had spent training in the knight academy. Despite knowing most of their capabilities, it just led to the anxiety. He was in charge, and he was responsible for their fate. If someone died, that would be on him, and nobody else.

Fjorm, Sharena, Kiran, and Anna were all walking towards Alfonse as he thought of all the possible ways to lower casualties.

"Hey, Alfonse, wake up!" Sharena said as she started to shake him at his shoulder. "Are we ready to get in our positions?" Sharena asked for the group.

"Apologies. Yes, we are going to head out momentarily." Alfonse replied.

"Once we stop for rest, I will explain more of the details, I swear." Fjorm stated. She had planned on it earlier, but this was the first time all morning that they had all been together.

Alfonse nodded. He looked over to see a distracted Kiran. He could tell something was on his mind. "Are you okay, Kiran?" He asked his friend.

"Oh, uh, yeah, sorry, Alfonse. Where will I be?" Kiran replied rather unconvincingly.

"Anna will be in the middle, Sharena in front with me, and Kiran, you'll be with Fjorm at the tail." Alfonse stated.

Fjorm started blushing when she heard she was Kiran. Sharena looked at her and winked. She must have arranged this. Was Sharena right? Did Fjorm actually harbor some sort of feelings for Kiran? She figured it was too early to tell anything, but she was at ease with him more than anyone else she has met so far. Not to mention her face heated up everytime he started talking to her. If anything she felt almost like a little kid again crushing on the older handsome boy. Liking him, but thinking it of nothing important. Still, Fjorm couldn't deny that she was happy to be put with him.

It was an hour into the march and everything was going well, but Alfonse kept noticing Sharena peeking toward the back.

"Sharena, what did you do?" He asked after he sighed to himself.

"Nothing…" Sharena tried to keep her face straight but started going into a giggle fit. Alfonse stared her in the eye, and she felt like he was peering into her soul. "Ugh, fine. I'm the one who had them put together."

"And why is that so funny? Wait, no. You're playing matchmaker again." Alfonse sighed again. Even on their first mission as battalion leaders, Sharena was still carefree. Still, it was something that he admired about his sister. She could always wear a smile on her face. And spread it to others too.

"I'm not playing this time. This is the real deal! They're gonna see how they're perfect for each other, and then they'll be eternally grateful to the best princess of Askr." Sharena beamed.

"You seem to have this all planned out. But what if it doesn't work?" Alfonse asked, genuinely interested, even if he tried to hide it.

"It will, it will! They just need a kick in the butt. I'm just the one who needs to give it to them!"

"If you say so." Alfonse couldn't help but let a small smile creep out. He didn't want to meddle, but he knew Sharena couldn't be stopped. But he also knew that she might actually have a chance at pulling off her little stunt. For some reason, she usually has luck with these types of things.

The entire time Fjorm and Kiran were marching was silent. They didn't say anything to each other. Fjorm for one was just now feeling embarrassed for holding his hand in town the day before. Twice. It was making her feel like a child, but she couldn't help but want to hold it again. Anyone else who had done so didn't even dare to touch her again. But Kiran had done it twice!

Kiran on the other hand was preoccupied by his dream. He couldn't get it out of his head. It felt too specific for his mind to be going wild in his sleep. But too far fetched to be real. Or was it? He'd seen crazier things. Like him being able to summon heroes from other realms, for example. Or a princess who could bind heroes to contracts. Or just people casting fireballs with just a snap of the fingers… Or anything else he'd seen here. It's not a normal thing for where he'd come from. Or even a possible thing at all. But his dream did mention Fjorm in it…

"Hey, Fjorm...do you have siblings? I can't remember if you've mentioned it before." Kiran asked. This was it. This is how he'd get his answers.

"Yes, I do actually. A brother and two sisters. Hríd, Ylgr, and Gunnthrá." She replied. On the inside, she was secretly happy that he was talking to her.

Now there was no question to Kiran now. That dream meant something… Was he supposed to save Nifl? How could someone who can't even fight save an entire kingdom? He was next to useless concerning anything that didn't involve listening to people.

"I see. I'm an only child. In fact, I haven't even seen my parents in a long time." He said, more to himself than to Fjorm.

"My parents...were killed during the invasion. My mother right in front of me. I wasn't able to do anything against that brute, Surtr."

"I'm sorry. But Alfonse and Sharena are two of the best fighters I've met here. Alfonse has incredible strength and endurance, while Sharena's speed makes for unmatchable defense and offense together. We'll take back your kingdom. Your home. I promise. No matter what it takes." Kiran said with full confidence in what he said.

Fjorm couldn't help but stop for a second to reflect on what she'd just heard. How could someone be so kind? Someone who barely even knows her, at that.

"Fjorm are you okay?" Kiran stopped after he noticed her.

Fjorm ran up to Kiran on impulse and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you so much." The princess said to Kiran. "We've just met, but I put all of my faith into you."

She released him from the hug and continued to walk with the rest of the battalion. Meanwhile, Kiran was in shock. He was not expecting her to hug him. But he wasn't complaining about it, either. For some reason it just felt right.

**Okay, that's the end of this chapter, I know it's short, but I want it out for you guys. Next chapter will be a battle so hopefully I can write it so that it's not boring, because a lot of battle scenes I read in fanfics are kinda yawn inspiring. Have a good one, guys.**


	4. Chpt 4: Illusions

_Author's Notes: First battle, let me know how it was. I doubt it'll be any good, lol. Thanks for all the praise, as well. I don't feel like this story is that good, in all honesty, so thanks. Is it too fluffy for how early on we're in? Do I change topics too suddenly? Does some dialogue not seem fitting? Let me know, I want this to be as good as possible. Also noting that I write and publish this on mobile, so I can't even tell if the formatting is good, I can't place line breaks or anything like that. I'm also going to start implementing Askr OCs, so if you haven't given one yet, I'd love for you to do so! Thanks so much! :)_

* * *

Chapter 4: Illusions

The mini army had been traveling for two days now. Alfonse shuddered each time he passed a village that was now reduced to ruins and ash. Anybody who could do such a thing is just as powerful as they are twisted. Sharena however was looking forward to seeing the snow again. It didn't snow much at all in Askr so it was practically foreign to her.

"You know...I don't think Fjorm has ever mentioned whether or not she can fight." Alfonse mentioned to his sister.

Sharena looked back for a second to see if they were in sight and then looked back to her brother. "I mean, she wears a tad bit of armor so I would assume she could fight at least a little bit."

Alfonse nodded. "Good. I have a feeling we'll need all the help we can get. Kiran can direct us well, but I don't think he's used to a larger army. He's only ever directed a small group of extremely talented individuals, but our troops may not be as skilled as the ones Kiran is used to."

"Have a little faith, Alfonse," Sharena said. "After all, I'm sure Kiran has something up his sleeve for the worst-case scenario." She ended with a smile.

Before anybody could react, the two siblings heard someone shout "scatter", and then a loud explosion came after and wiped out an entire section of the units. Next thing they knew, they were surrounded by an army of soldiers with their weapons drawn and prepared to fight.

"This was not part of the plan," Alfonse said to himself. "Draw your weapons and let's fight!" Alfonse shouted.

Fjorm took a lance from one of the men who died from the explosion and dashed into the battle without a second thought. Kiran sighed as he was all on his own without any means of self-defense present. His best hopes right now were to step into the woods and watch the battle unfold. He watched Fjorm for a while, her actions were like a perfectly performed dance, without missing a single beat. Gentle as she was, she was certainly ruthless on the battlefield.

"What I wouldn't give to not be useless," Kiran said to himself. He kept watching as he saw the knights being mercilessly slaughtered by the armored enemies. He had to step in. He shouted to a group of the Askr soldiers. "You with the axe, go from behind! Let the myrmidon distract from the front!"

The axe wielding soldier nodded to the command and went behind his comrade to let him take the attention of the armored soldier. The myrmidon had incredible speed, dodging the attacks flawlessly. Before the armored knight knew what was going on, he was hit from behind with an axe causing his helmet to come off and also stumble. The myrmidon saw the opening and swung his sword right across the knight's neck, decapitating him on the spot.

* * *

Alfonse meanwhile was taking on hordes at once with his large and powerful blows. The enemy caught on to his strategy and bombarded him with cavaliers. Alfonse however stayed calm and thrust his sword into the ground. Folkvangr began to light up and soon the soil was bright. "Let me through!" Alfonse shouted right before a blast came from the ground and took out every single one of the mounted soldiers.

Sharena was speedily taking out enemies, one by one, but still effectively. The enemies bunched up together in order to counter her strategy. With a bunch of them, she'd be left open when only going for one at a time. The princess drew her shield and went on attacking, but covering her openings so the enemy couldn't pierce through. "You're going to need to do better than that if you want to beat me," she said with a smile.

Anna was evading attacks left and right and rushed into the enemy as they were recoiling from their previous attack. She then suddenly saw someone who looked exactly like her. "Um, who are you…?" She asked her duplicate.

"Hehe, I'm Commander Anna of Askr! Who are you?" The other Anna replied.

"I'm Commander Anna of Askr! What is this? Am I seeing things?" Anna shouted to...herself.

Alfonse noticed the twin redheads arguing with each other. It hurt his head just thinking about it. "What's going on?"

"She's an imposter!" The twins said to Alfonse simultaneously.

"Whatever," one of the Anna's said and kicked the other in the stomach.

As she hit the ground a purple essence swirled around the fake Anna and revealed a woman with exposed features. "Hehe, my name is actually Loki. You've all been duped. I bought enough time for the spell. So long for now!" She suddenly warped away.

"Spell?" Alfonse asked Anna. The commander shrugged, just as confused as the prince was.

* * *

Kiran was now being confronted by Loki. "My dear, aren't you a hunk." She said with a wink to the tactician.

"My dear, aren't you a nut." He replied with disgust. "Mind wearing a towel or something?"

"You're so adorable. Unfortunately, you're going to have to die now…"

Kiran pulled out an oddly shaped weapon. "I don't think so, witch." He fired out five magic looking orbs and a cloud of smoke cleared out from where they landed and revealed someone.

"My, my, now what is a beauty like you doing on a battlefield?" The gray haired swordsman asked.

Kiran grumbled to himself. "Laslow...it had to be Laslow. She's the enemy, dolt!"

"Not for long I'm not. You have a different person to deal with." Loki blew a kiss and warped away once again.

Fjorm came rushing up with her weapon in hand. She saw that face once before. At the Nifl Ice Palace. "Die!" Fjorm began launching a flurry of attacks.

"Hey, Fjorm! I'm not your enemy!" The trickster said. Laslow came in to help but was immediately taken down by Fjorm who then proceeded to attack.

"Until your blood is spilled, I won't stop!" Despite the efforts of her enemy, she eventually hit them through their defensive maneuvers. But after slashing them in the stomach and seeing them fall, she realized her mistake. The illusion subsided and she saw Kiran on the ground bleeding out from the stomach.

"Y-you're pretty good…" Kiran was barely able to muster it out before going unconscious. But he was out with a smile.

Fjorm dropped to her knees. All of her strength was gone. She couldn't even hold on to her lance. All she could do was cry. Her tears rolled down her face and they weren't slowing. The fight continued, she knew Alfonse, Sharena, and Anna were still fighting, and at risk, but she couldn't make herself get up.

"Don't die! Please! Hang on for a little longer!" Kiran screamed at an unconscious Kiran. Her tears kept streaming down her cheeks. "Please…"

* * *

The trio from Askr kept fighting, even though the odds kept growing worse and worse. Alfonse was almost at his limit, Sharena was slowing down, and Anna was also starting to grow weary.

Alfonse had no choice but to pull his army back. "Retreat, we can't win this!" He yelled.

Loki saw Alfonse trying to escape with his men, sister, and commander. She started laughing with an evil intent. "Launch the spell." She ordered.

"Yes, m'lady." Said the Mage General.

Out of nowhere, Alfonse saw a large orb of fire falling down upon him and his troops. "Sharena!" He yelled as he ran as fast as he could to get to his sister. He jumped and tackled her down and got her out of range of the blast. Anna saw what Alfonse was worried about and dove down with the siblings. "Scatter!" Alfonse cried to his troops.

However, it was too late for them to get out of the way. The blast struck down each and every last soldier who hadn't already been killed. The only survivors were the three who were in charge. But even so, they were lucky to have not been killed along with their troops.

Loki snickered. "I think that did them in. It wasn't even our best work. Pitiful, really. I wanted more of a fight. Oh well. Let's report back to Surtr." She and her soldiers were all teleported away in an instant."

"Sharena, are you okay?!" Alfonse worriedly shouted, even though she was right beside him.

"I'm fine…" His sister replied. "Yeah, I'm fine." Her voice was shaken.

"Good." Alfonse said as he embraced her in a hug. He couldn't bring himself to say anything else.

"Alfonse…" Anna started, "you might want to look over there." She pointed to the path they were on before they jumped into the woods.

The prince turned his head and saw a gruesome sight. The corpses; or what was left of them, of the very soldiers he commanded just five minutes ago. His mouth was agape, but nothing came out. No words could express how he felt right now. He felt like he was in a nightmare. He shook his head. "We...we have to find Kiran and Fjorm." He finally said. The others nodded and followed Alfonse.

* * *

They searched for about ten minutes before they find them. But just from the sight, Alfonse knew it was more bad news. Fjorm was still on her knees, still crying, and had blood all over her hands.

"What happened?" Alfonse asked the ice princess. "Kiran? Kiran?!"

"I...I attacked him." Fjorm said, and started to cry even harder. "I was under a spell from that...that witch and I was so fixed on revenge that I didn't hear him! I'm a monster!" She dropped her head on the ground and kept crying.

"What happened to his wound? There's blood everywhere but I can barely see anything." Sharena added.

"I froze it shut for now, but I know it won't help for long. All that I've done is help stop the bleeding, but it's not doing much else." She said in between chokes.

Anna started pulling something out of her satchel. "I was going to sell this, but I think we need to use it," she started as she held out a tome. "It contains a spell from the Queen. If we use it, we can return to Askr, but it'll only work once, I'm afraid." She finished.

Alfonse however didn't like the idea. "How… How am I supposed to go back and face my father?! Tell him that every person, every single life that he put under my command and my protection have all died?! He finally gave me a chance to grow up and I've thrown it away! I can't bring them back! I can't tell their families that they'll never see them again because I failed! I can't, Anna! I can't! I'm a failure! I should have died with them!"

Sharena snapped too. "Don't say that! If you had died with them, it wouldn't have changed anything except for leaving me without my brother!" Sharena joined Fjorm in crying. "I couldn't live like that, Alfonse! Like you couldn't live without me! Don't deny it, because you risked your own neck to save me!"

"That's enough, Alfonse." Anna said. "You can't change their fate. Get ahold of yourself. We're going back. I'm the commander, and you'll obey my order, prince or not." She said. Anna started the spell and they were all teleported to the gates of Askr.

* * *

Alfonse hadn't said a word, but he went to carry Kiran. But before he could pick him up, Fjorm stopped him.

"He carried me last time… I want to help him now. Just please lead me to the infirmary." She said politely. Her crying had finally stopped, but Kiran's wound was starting to bleed again, albeit slowly.

Alfonse again remained silent, but nodded and lead the way. The people of Askr all stared and murmured amongst themselves as the four passed while carrying a body. After all, they weren't expected to be back so early.

Once they had arrived Fjorm volunteered to stay at the infirmary with Kiran while the other three went back to the castle. Nobody objected. Whether they didn't have the strength to, or that they knew it was the best thing to do, Fjorm couldn't tell, but she was glad either way.

* * *

**Welp, that was a chapter. I debated on whether or not to kill Anna but I decided not to. I read over the chapter again and it felt short, but still let me know what you think. This was written in short bursts because I'm still busy, but I'll be on a trip for a few days, so I'll have more free time. And another ten hour drive after this one is done, haha. Have you played Three Houses? If so, let me know how you liked it! It's my favorite FE game without a doubt, lol. Love y'all, and I'll be working on the next chapter after this one is published! :)**

* * *


	5. Chpt 5: Guilt

_I've started school again, and with it boring me out of my mind, I'm putting more time into hobbies, lol. This chapter is one I've been thinking on how to do for a while, and I enjoy how I chose to do it. Hopefully you do as well!_

* * *

Alfonse locked himself up in his room, drowning in the guilt of failure. So many lives lost. Strangers he'd never met, friends he trained with almost daily. A lot of the corpses he saw weren't even recognizable after the orb of fire hit them.

He hasn't eaten or slept since he had gotten back to Askr. Anytime Sharena brought him food he'd push her away. Anytime Sharena asked him to sleep, she'd push him away. It has been three days since the battle. He hasn't even seen his father in person yet. He was too ashamed to step foot out of his room. A knocking on the door however broke the silence. A voice came through the door.

"Alfonse." Sharena's voice came through the door. "Father wants to see us. Don't keep him waiting, please." She finished. Alfonse was able to hear her footsteps trailing off through the hall.

The prince could only imagine what his father had in store to say to him. Gustav was already impatient and strict, but now...Alfonse had messed up beyond comprehension. The prince let out an extremely heavy sigh before getting up from his bed to make his way to the throne room.

Alfonse approached the door to the throne room. Sharena was waiting on him to show up before she went in. His sister must've been as scared as he was judging by her silence. But Alfonse also realized that he'd been rather cold to her as well. An older brother is supposed to swallow his sorrow and take care of his sister. So he decided to do just that.

"Sharena," he started, "don't worry. All punishment will fall upon me. You're not to blame, I am. Forgive me for my rudeness lately."

"Oh, you dummy!" Sharena shouted as she leapt to her brother and embraced him in a full force hug. "I'm so glad you finally said something. I just wanted my big bro back." She smiled.

Alfonse started choking up. He was so glad to have been blessed with Sharena. "I'm sorry." It was all he could muster out.

They released each other and took a breath before opening the doors. Their father was there waiting for them, as expected. They both dropped to one knee and waited for him to speak.

"Alfonse...the great general of Askr. That's what you wanted to be called when you were younger, right?" Gustav said. His son didn't reply. "You're still too young." The king rose from his throne. "Almost every unit assigned to you was killed in combat. A shame." He started to walk toward the siblings. "Sharena, Kiran, Commander Anna you, and Princess Fjorm were the only survivors. Doesn't that seem suspicious to you?" He stood in front of Alfonse. "Look at me, son." Alfonse raised his head and looked directly into the eyes of his father. "You saved your sister from what I've heard. And I'm proud of you. Those other soldiers…"

"I know, father, okay?! I let them die and I'm a disgrace!" Alfonse lost it. He fell to both knees instead of just the one. "If death is my punishment, then I accept it. Let me join them, please!"

"Foolish boy. Nobody died in that battle other than some enemy soldiers. The men I entrusted to you were nothing more than lifeless corpses. Just unit manuals. They were bound with magic to make them look familiar to you. Not real people."

Alfonse's eyes widened. "U-unit manuals? You didn't...trust me?" He said in disbelief. "I thought you were finally going to trust me with something…"

"You fool. Would you rather me be an ignoramus and trust you with lives of real men?! Then people would have actually died. The real people I did send didn't even all come back unscathed. Our commander can't even be dispatched now because of her wounds. Kiran is in the infirmary, and Sharena nearly died!"

Alfonse knew it was all true, but it didn't make the words sting anymore. "I… You're right. Thank you, father. For making me realize that my future does not entail any of that. Is that all?"

Gustav shook his head. "Go rest. You haven't slept in days. You can visit your friend tomorrow. This was a lesson, Alfonse. Take your time in life. Next time, you'll be prepared for leading men."

The two siblings got up and took their leave. Both went back to their rooms after saying goodnight. They both did want to visit Kiran since they hadn't seen him for a while, but their father said tomorrow.

* * *

Meanwhile, the doctor was making his last rounds for the night in the infirmary. Due to the fact that he hadn't seen Kiran awake for the few days he'd been staying there, he was shocked to have seen Kiran reading when he walked in.

The doctor smiled at the sight. "How are you feeling?" He asked.

Kiran put down his book when he heard the question. "Oh, hello. I'm sore, but I guess that means I'm alive." He said as he placed his hand on his stomach wound that was covered up with bandages.

The doctor let out a small laugh. "I'd say being alive is better than dead. I was just making my last rotation before I head to sleep. Do you need anything before I go?"

"Yes, actually I have a question." Kiran said. The doctor nodded as to let Kiran know to continue. "How long as she been here?" Kiran looked toward Fjorm who was sleeping in a chair.

"Well, as far as I know, she's been here as long as you were allowed to be visited. She brought you in and asked when you'd be open for visitors. We told her, of course, and so she said that she was going to eat and then come back. She did come back a bit early and waited in the main room. We told her that she could come back about an hour after, and I don't think she's left since then. The nurses have been bringing her food since you were asleep and well, you couldn't eat it if you were asleep." The doctor explained.

Kiran sighed. He was happy that she was there, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it was because she felt guilty. "Thank you. I don't wish to keep you any more. I'll cover all of her expenses."

The doctor nodded. "Have a good night, now." The doctor left as silently as possible to avoid waking up the princess.

Kiran started to get out of bed, but moving too much was causing pain to his stomach. He eventually got his legs over the edge. He sat there for a few minutes mentally preparing to put his feet to the floor and to try to walk. "Here goes nothing." He thought to himself. He tried to stand up, but the pain shot right through him and caused him to fall while groaning in pain.

"Kiran?!" Fjorm woke up due to the noise and immediately went to help him back onto the bed. "Are you okay?" She asked him with her voice full of worry.

"Yeah, I think so. That didn't go quite as planned." He chuckled, but then immediately put his hand on his chest from pain. "Don't laugh, noted. He said.

"I'm sorry." Fjorm said quietly.

"Huh?" Kiran asked, wanting to make sure he knew what she said.

"I'm sorry." Fjorm said louder. "You shouldn't be here, and you shouldn't have had a gash on your stomach… I'm a monster."

Kiran grabbed his book and lightly hit her on the head with it. "I hope that was a bad joke. A monster would've killed me. You could have, but you let up in your attack. Just a bit too late, though. A monster wouldn't have watched over me for days on end." He finished.

"Well, you're awake now… I don't want to impose, so I'll go now." Fjorm started to get up before she felt her arm being tugged back. "Hm?"

"I'd rather you not. You'd be bothering me more by leaving." He explained.

"B-but… don't you want to rest?" She asked.

"In a bit. But I do want you to stay. If you want, that is. I don't want to force you."

"If you say so... I'll gladly stay."

"Good. Now, I'm going to stand up again, and if I fall, please catch me?" He asked jokingly.

"You don't need to get up. Whatever you need, I can do it for you," the princess insisted.

"I need the restroom." Kiran said bluntly.

"O-oh." Fjorm blushed a bit. "I don't think I can help with that."

Kiran chuckled a bit, but still held to his stomach. "Can you help me over to the door? Maybe it'll help if I ease into walking instead of jumping right to it."

Fjorm nodded and then helped him up and put his arm around her shoulders as she helped walk him over. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." She replied with a small smile forming on her lips. "Let me know when you're coming out."

"Will do," Kiran replied before closing the door.

* * *

It had been a while since Kiran had gone into the bathroom, but Fjorm didn't want to say anything. The chair she was sitting in was also getting irritating. It was so uncomfortable after the days she'd spent sleeping in it. "Kiran wouldn't mind if I laid on the bed until he got out...right?" She thought to herself. Eventually she gave into her fatigue and discomfort and laid on the bed for a bit. Kiran still hadn't said anything for another ten minutes, and before she knew it, her eyelids became too heavy to keep open and she fell asleep.

Kiran came out a while after. He washed up a bit and the standing up from it helped him get used to walking by himself again. When he came out of the room, he saw Fjorm sleeping in the bed. He couldn't help but crack a smile and think "she deserves it." Plus, he himself wasn't too fond of the bed at that point. It felt like he was on a slab of wood. It took him a while, but he eventually put enough blankets on the floor for it to be comfortable. "Don't kill me," he said to himself before getting down to lay on them. He made himself comfortable and fell asleep within minutes.

Fjorm woke up in the middle of the night in a frenzy. A nightmare. The scene of her attacking Kiran repeated in her sleep. It had been that way since that day. Then it dawned on her. Kiran. She fell asleep before he came out. She panicked and shot up. The door was open. She looked around before noticing Kiran on the ground asleep. "Kiran...why didn't you wake me up?" She said to herself. She didn't want to risk hurting him by lifting him up, so she let him be and tried to sleep. But every time she closed her eyes she saw the same scene. She took a breath before getting off of the bed and laying on the ground beside him. She'd hoped to herself that she wouldn't wake him up as she slowly moved her hand to hold onto his. She closed her eyes in anticipation of her cold hand waking Kiran up, but he didn't even move. She smiled and continued to hold his hand as she closed her eyes and peacefully went to sleep.

* * *

**The ending of this chapter was my favorite part. I hope I'm not making these too sappy with how early we're in, but Fjorm is realizing how comfortable Kiran makes her. He helped her in the crowds and now he helped her through her nightmare. Next chapter is going to be a fun Halloween chapter and I promise it'll be out sooner than this one was! :) 3**


	6. Chapter 6: Haunted Hollows

**Author's Notes: Halloween chapter. Late, I know. I love Halloween, though, and I was writing it near Halloween at the time. I hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

The next day, Alfonse and Sharena went to visit Kiran. They explained to Kiran and Fjorm what Gustav had told them about the soldiers and that now an actual army was being assembled for an assault on Surtr. It would, however, be a while before preparations were completed.

That same day Kiran was free to leave, but he was supposed to be taking it easy for a few days. He could walk on his own, but he wasn't to carry any heavy loads, and was also supposed to take frequent breaks from walking, but they didn't have to be long. A five minute break here and there was good enough for the doctor.

He'd been in the infirmary for so long he completely missed the set up for the night's Halloween festival. Last year he saw the set up, but he wasn't able to attend since he was still involved in war affairs with Embla. But now he wasn't to be anywhere near a battlefield for a while, so he was hoping to go this year. Halloween was one of his favorite events back at home.

Kiran decided to bring up the subject at lunch. "Alfonse, were you and Sharena planning on going to the Halloween festival tonight?"

"Well, I'd completely forgotten about it until today, if I'm being honest." Alfonse said while rubbing his neck.

"Do you want to go, Kiran?" Sharena asked with a smile on her face.

"I've nothing else to do tonight. Plus...I really like Halloween. So yeah, I do want to go." Kiran explained.

"Cool, then I'll go!" Sharena chimed. "You too, Alfonse."

"Sure, I don't mind." He said with a smile.

"Do you want to go, Fjorm?" Sharena asked. Fjorm hadn't said anything, so she was making sure the quiet princess wasn't feeling left out.

"I've never been to one before. I'd like to go if I wouldn't be a bother." She said nervously.

Sharena rolled her eyes. "You're not a bother. We want you to come! Right, guys?" She looked at Alfonse and Kiran.

"Absolutely. You're our friend now and we want to have fun with you. Whether or not you want to escape, I think it's too late now." Alfonse chuckled.

"Yup, we like you a lot, Fjorm. Don't think you're an intrusion." Kiran finished.

"Okay...thank you." Fjorm said with a wide smile. These people who found her truly were special. She had no doubt that they'd take Nifl back..

"Yay!" Sharena beamed. "I get to help you find an outfit for tonight, though. We all have to dress up, even you Alfonse!" She shot her brother a nasty look.

"Fine. But I'm not promising that it'll be fancy." The prince retorted.

Kiran smiled at the two siblings. He always enjoyed seeing their interactions. Two of the closest siblings he'd ever seen. Sharena did often tease Alfonse, and Alfonse would get after Sharena sometimes, but they wouldn't trade one another for anything. They truly were best friends. Kiran did find himself envious at times, but he nonetheless loved seeing the two together.

* * *

After lunch, the group parted ways. Sharena was taking Fjorm to find costumes. Alfonse and Kiran also went to find costumes to wear for the festival.

Fjorm and Sharena had gone through a few costumes, none of which were what they wanted. They didn't know what they were looking for, but once they'd see it, they'd know it was the right one.

"So, Fjorm…" Sharena started, "you didn't tell me how staying with Kiran went." Sharena started bubbling on the inside.

"Oh, it was fine." Fjorm replied.

"Just fine? I think you're holding out on me, Fjorm." Sharena said with a disappointed tone.

Fjorm let out a sigh. "Promise not to tell anyone…? Please?" Fjorm asked. She did want someone to talk to about it, but she didn't want the information to be spread around. Especially to Kiran.

"I pinky promise!" Sharena said while sticking her pinky out. Fjorm took part in it but the touch from her finger made Sharena jump back. "You're so cold, are you okay?"

Fjorm nodded. "It's just part of who I am… I'm sorry."

"Aw, don't worry, I was just surprised. Plus it makes you special. So...let's get into it, shall we?" Sharena could barely contain her excitement.

"Kiran slept for most of the time. He only just woke up yesterday. I was asleep when he woke. I don't know how long he was up until I myself woke up. We didn't talk much, either. He went to freshen up, I was still really tired, and I fell asleep on his bed. I woke up in the middle of the night, and he was on the floor. If I'm being honest, it was a nightmare that woke me up...a nightmare of me attacking him. It's been plaguing me since that day. I couldn't fall asleep again. So...I laid down on the floor beside him and...I held onto his hand." She explained the story to him, blushing throughout the whole thing.

"Awwww, Fjoooorm, that is so cute! What'd he say when he woke up beside you?"

"I woke up first. I didn't want him to get the wrong idea." Fjorm said looking down at her feet.

"Wrong idea? The idea that maybe you care for him? That you have a biiiiig crush on him?" Sharena started. Though she sounded like she was teasing, she was also being serious.

"I d-" Fjorm started but couldn't get it out.

"You what? You're going to deny it?" Sharena asked with a concerned face.

"No… I was trying to say that I do. I do care for him. I do like him a lot. Kiran...makes me feel safe. In town he helped me through a crowd. When he went to grab my hand, the cold also made him recoil." Fjorm started to explain. "But unlike others, right after being hit by the cold, he grabbed my hand again and held onto it. It put butterflies in my stomach. When you found us at the fountain, I stopped him before we left, and asked if he'd help me again. He took my hand again, and he didn't jump back that time…"

Hearing that people jumping back from Fjorm after they touched her made her sad, Sharena felt guilty since she had just done the same. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you by pulling my hand back." Sharena apologized. "Kiran is a good guy. I'm glad that he makes you feel safe. I'm glad that you feel that way about him too, because honestly, he feels lonely a lot."

"R-really? You guys all seem so close." Fjorm was genuinely confused as to how he'd feel alone when they looked like great friends.

"Yeah, we're good friends, but he said that he hasn't had anyone who he felt extremely close to. He says that I'm his best friend, but I don't know if he truly feels that. I wish he did, but I can't help but feel he's missing something." Sharena finished. "So…maybe we can come up with a plan."

Fjorm lifted her brow in curiosity. "A plan?"

"Yeah! A plan to get you two on a date, even if he doesn't know it." Sharena said with a mischievous smirk on her face.

"But...didn't you want to go as a group?" Fjorm asked with a feeling of guilt in her stomach. She didn't want to be the one to separate them on a night like this.

"We'll spend some time together, probably have dinner with the four of us, and then I'll get Alfonse to leave with me. Then you and Kiran will have the rest of the evening all together!" Sharena finished with a huge grin on her face. "I'm a matchmaker extraordinaire!"

"I...I don't know if I should. Wouldn't that be selfish?"

"Fjooooorm, I'm offering. It's not selfish to accept a gift!" Sharena insisted.

"Yeah, but… Would Kiran want to spend a night with me?" Fjorm kept arguing despite Sharena's attempts at persuasion.

"Why wouldn't he?"

"Because I cut him open with a lance, maybe…? I'm probably not that fun, I'll just trip over my words, and I'll get really cold because of my nerves." Fjorm started counting.

"Shush! I don't want to hear that nonsense! He forgave you for the first thing, and the other two are adorable! Besides, it'd be rude of him to leave a guest by herself. You can't lose!" Sharena's grin came back onto her face.

Fjorm sighed in defeat. "I don't know… I would enjoy a night with him, but...I don't know if he would, and I don't want to make him uncomfortable, and scare him away." All sorts of scenarios as to how it could go wrong rushed through the princess's head.

"You'll just have to tell me how it goes tomorrow, then!"

Fjorm figured it would be a waste of breath to try and say anything else. Maybe Sharena would forget about it.

The two girls kept going through dresses and costumes for the festival. They went through at least twenty each before they found what they wanted. Sharena chose a black dress with some glitter at the bottom, and a witch hat. Fjorm decided on a shorter dress, where the skirt was striped vertically with orange and black, she had black tights, the top was orange, and she had a hair clip that was shaped as a bat.

* * *

Alfonse and Kiran didn't spend as much time looking for their outfits. Alfonse picked out an outfit that had his usual white and gold color scheme. Kiran chose a basic vampire themed outfit. A red satin vest with a white undershirt, black pants, and a black cloak.

Sharena met with Alfonse before the group was to meet in order to explain her plan to him. Despite his questioning as to why she was so desperate to get the two by themselves, he did eventually agree to help her. It may have been a bit easier for Sharena to convince her brother if she had mentioned in the beginning that Fjorm did want to spend time with Kiran. The prince often questioned why he always played the pawn in Sharena's games.

Kiran, Fjorm, Alfonse, and Sharena enjoyed their dinner together. The streets were busy, as expected for a festival, which did have Fjorm a little nervous, but she was close to her three friends so she didn't feel too bad yet. The decorations were spot on. Lanterns, pumpkins, all of the normal Halloween decorations were strung about. Candy stops for the kids were frequent, and for the older kids and adults there were haunted houses.

"Does anybody want to try a haunted house?" Sharena asked energetically.

"I-I think I'll pass on that one, Sharena. We don't need to do that...right, guys?" Alfonse started looking at the others with a desperate look in his eye.

"What's wrong with haunted houses?" Kiran asked. He'd never seen Alfonse like this. He seemed genuinely worried and nervous on a scale that he didn't think was possible for Alfonse outside of battle.

"Alfonse has been afraid of ghosts since he was small." Sharena answered.

"N-no, that's not it, Sharena. I just-"

"Oh, whatever! One year we went into a haunted house, and I started making shadows and saying things like 'look, a ghost!', and he totally freaked out. I made one around the corner, and when I jumped out, Alfonse screamed like a girl." She reminisced. "I also remember when he thought the castle was haunted, so like the good little sister I am, I may have jumped out from his closet and scared him."

Alfonse groaned. "Sharena, I think they get your point." Alfonse said with a frustrated tone in his voice.

"Oh, don't be mad. At least I didn't tell them that you peed in your bed because of it. Wait...whoops."

Alfonse facepalmed. He thought that maybe it was time to put Sharena's plan into action. For his sake. He would have to play the pawn, but if it made sure no more stories came out tonight, he'd gladly be the pawn.

"Speaking of the castle, Sharena, maybe we should be going?" He asked in a way that would help tip off his sister.

The princess nodded and went up to Fjorm and whispered into her ear: "have fun."

Fjorm's nerves went crazy as soon as she realized that Sharena was actually going through with this, and that she was kinda sorta on a date with Kiran now.

Sharena waved back at the two and shouted "have fun!" Her plan was in motion, but it was up to Fjorm and Kiran to keep the momentum going. The siblings walked away chattering until they were out of sight.

"Kiran, i-if you don't want to stay without them, then we don't have to…" Fjorm was trying to be polite, but on the inside she was really hoping that he wanted to.

"Well, you're still here, so there's no point in me leaving." Kiran smiled reassuringly.

Fjorm was dancing on the inside at Kiran's words. "What should we do, then?"

Kiran thought of the different activities that were being hosted. There were candy stops, though they were primarily for younger children, anybody could grab a sweet or two. There was a costume contest, but they weren't quite dressed for the occasion.

"Oh, um…" Fjorm started.

"Yes?" Kiran immediately looked to her and smiled.

Fjorm took a small breath before starting. "Well, I've never been to a haunted house before. We don't do such things in Nifl."

"Are you sure? From what I've been told, the haunted house they do for this festival is pretty extreme." Kiran warned the princess.

Fjorm didn't give it a second thought before nodding her head and going "mhm! Yes, I'm sure. I think it'll be fun." Fjorm's stomach felt like it was a butterfly garden, she was so excited.

Kiran continued to smile toward her. She seemed a lot better than she was the day before when he woke up. It was a relief to him that she wasn't beating herself up and calling herself a monster. Kiran figured she had a thousand things going through her mind at one time, given her circumstances. He was more than willing to take her to a haunted house and to help keep her happy.

* * *

As the two walked to the haunted house, they chatted away. Kiran complimented Fjorm on her outfit which made her cheeks turn red like tomatoes. The decorations blew Fjorm away, everything seemed perfectly placed. It was all breathtaking to her.

When they got to the haunted house, the exterior design sent chills down Fjorm's spine. It was very well decorated, but she also had no experience with haunted houses. She was half not wanting to go in because of how creepy it looked to her, however, the time with Kiran was more important to her. She was feeling like she actually was crushing on him, but she had only known him for a little over a week, so she wasn't exactly sure. One thing was certain to her, though, and it was that she felt safe with him and that she wanted to be at his side if it was in her ability to do so.

* * *

The inside of the haunted house was just as impressive as the outside, possibly even more so. Fake cobwebs that looked extremely realistic, very few candles which would highlight the decor but keep it dark enough to give the haunted feel, and of course, actors who would pop out at the most unexpected time to give a good scare. Which Fjorm was unaware of until it happened to her.

An actor dressed in rags and a mask that looked like a melted face jumped from the ceiling to right in front of Kiran and Fjorm which caused the princess to jump back and scream. "K-kiran, maybe I should've listened to you. I just thought it'd be a walk through kind of thing."

"Well, I myself have never been in. But I could've assumed there'd be people here to scare us since that's how it was in haunted houses where I'm from." Kiran told the princess. He really did feel guilty and felt terrible when he saw Fjorm tremble.

Fjorm was silent for about a minute before she took a breath and said "it's okay, I can make it through. I'm just not used to stuff like this…" She was trying her best to stay calm, but she was really not good with scary stuff. Even when she was younger, she couldn't read horror books because they'd prove too much for her. Even still, she couldn't chicken out in front of Kiran. She kept telling herself to be brave until the second actor jumped out and scared her twice as badly as the first.

Kiran grew more concerned. "Fjorm, are you alright? We can turn back if you want."

Fjorm didn't want to ruin this night. She didn't want to be the reason they left early. "N-no," is what she was able to muster out. Fjorm could only think of one thing that'd make her feel safer going through. "Kiran," she started, "I know I shouldn't ask this of you again, but...may I please hold your hand?" Fjorm winced at her own words waiting to surely be declined this time. But to her surprise, she felt someone grab her hand. As she opened her eyes, she saw that it was in fact, Kiran. He didn't recoil at all when he grabbed her hand. It was one grab. "I-is my hand not cold? I figured it would be since my nerves are out of control."

Kiran looked at her with a gentle smile. "Your hand is very cold. But so what? It's not a bother to me whatsoever."

Those words made her feel so happy inside. To know that the cold wasn't enough to deter Kiran from touching her made her jump with joy on the inside. The two walked through the haunted house with Fjorm squeezing Kiran's hand the entire time.

Afterwards, they had some candy. One thing Kiran wasn't expecting was that Fjorm liked candy corn just as much as he did. Eventually, the Halloween festival drew to a close and the two bade their farewells.

* * *

"Thank you for tonight, Kiran, it was very fun. Even if I was a burden…" Fjorm said with a sheepish tone.

"Fjorm, I had tons of fun and you weren't a burden. If you ever need someone to hold your hand, please tell me. I'll be the first to volunteer. I promise!" Kiran gave her a big grin and a thumbs up.

The ice princess was speechless. How could someone be so kind? She kept finding things about him that she liked, the longer she was around with him. They finally said goodnight and went their separate ways, where Kiran would finally sleep in his own bed.

As he was laying in bed, he saw the journal that Sharena gave to him. He hadn't written anything in it since the night he found Fjorm. An idea popped into his head. It would be a journal about his and Fjorm's adventures. He started to write on the second page.

"Fjorm stayed with me for days on end while I was in the infirmary. She's very sweet but seems to feel very guilty. I want to help lift her burden from her shoulders so she can smile for no reason other than being happy. Had fun with her at the Halloween festival. Honestly quite glad it was only me and her, though I'm not sure why. P.S. Fjorm has the softest hands I've ever felt."

_Yes, this is an actual update whoa! Almost a year late too, I was half tempted to keep my old author's notes just to show how long ago I started the chapter. I hope you all have a good day/night!_


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